Tag: accidents

Flagger Safety

Posted on by admin_ici

Work zone flaggers are the first line of defense for road construction workers and are there to help protect the public. It is a critical and dangerous job. Because they are the ones that deal with the speeding, distracted or sometimes angry driver, they must also know how to protect themselves while on the job.

What flaggers should do to protect themselves:

  • Most importantly, all flaggers should have the appropriate flagger training and have periodic refresher training.
  • Wear high-visibility clothing such as orange, yellow or green vests. Use retro-reflective vests at night.
  • Wear other protective equipment such as hard hats, long-sleeved shirts and pants, safety footwear and eyewear.
  • Dress appropriately for the weather.
  • Stay alert and out of harm’s way by following these guidelines:
    • Stand alone on the shoulder in clear view.
    • Never stand in the open traffic lane.
    • Plan an escape route for emergencies.
    • Stay alert and focused on your work.
    • Make sure your hand signals don’t conflict with the traffic signals.
    • Treat motorists with respect and courtesy. Don’t pick fights or respond in anger. If a driver is a problem, record the make, model and license number of the car, and report the incident to law enforcement.
    • If a driver violates your warnings and trespasses your flagging station, warn the other workers in the work zone. Establish a warning signal ahead of time for the work crew in case of an emergency.

Dangerous behaviors flaggers should avoid:

  • Standing where you can be crushed;
  • Standing in the shade, over the crest of a hill or around a sharp curve;
  • Leaving your position until properly relieved;
  • Standing near equipment;
  • Standing in a group;
  • Participating in unnecessary conversation;
  • Reading or daydreaming while on duty;
  • Using your cell phone;
  • Listening to music or using ear phones; or
  • Turning your back on traffic.

Remember, working in traffic areas always presents some risks. The job of a flagger is an essential component of worksite safety.

Download the recording form here.

Preventing Forklift Accidents

Posted on by admin_ici

There are several types of forklifts that can be used on construction sites. They include stand-up riders for use in narrow aisles, sit-down riders, motorized hand pallet jacks and rough terrain forklift trucks.

About 100 workers are killed each year as a result of forklift accidents. Overturning causes nearly one quarter of these fatalities. Other common forklift accidents include workers being struck by materials on forklifts or by the forklift itself, and workers falling from a forklift.

Unfortunately, those who operate forklifts day in and day out have a tendency to take short cuts and ignore basic safety rules. Their attitude says, “It can’t happen to me.”

Some factors to consider when driving a forklift include:

  • Know the capacity of the forklift you are driving. Make sure it can handle the size and weight of your load.
  • Determine if the load you are carrying has any odd characteristics, and plan ahead on how to handle them. Examples include loads that are top heavy, cylindrical or awkward.
  • Know the condition of the forklift. Are the forks damaged, or is there some other problem that could cause an accident? If so, don’t use the forklift until it’s repaired.
  • Determine the path you will be traveling with the forklift. Be aware of obstacles, bumps, ramps, people, cross aisles and narrow passageways.

When operating a forklift, keep the following safety guidelines in mind:

  • Operate the forklift only if you’ve been trained.
  • Maintain a safe following distance from other forklifts – about three vehicle lengths.
  • Follow speed limits and other regulations.
  • Drive with your load low – six or eight inches off the ground – and tilted slightly back.
  • Exercise extra caution when driving over duckboards and bridge plates, and make sure your load is within their capacity as well.
  • Raise and lower your load only when your forklift is completely stopped.
  • Stop and sound the horn at intersections.
  • Avoid sharp turns.
  • Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle.
  • Wear a hard hat and other protective equipment when necessary.
  • Be sure your load is stable and secure.
  • When leaving the forklift for any reason or any length of time, lower the forks, neutralize the controls, shut off the engine and set the brakes.

OSHA has two educational documents on forklift safety. The first is “Operating the Forklift: Load Handling,” and the second is “Operating the Forklift: Traveling & Maneuvering.” Both have good information that can help you safely operate your forklift.

Download the recording form here.

News Release: Summer Travel Safety

Posted on by Andria Hine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 25, 2016
CONTACT: Andria Hine, Indiana Constructors, Inc. (317) 634-7547

Construction Group Urges Summer Travel Safety Through Indiana’s Highway Work Zones

As Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and Hoosiers take to the open road for family vacations, Indiana Constructors, Inc. (ICI) urges motorists to stay alert while driving through Indiana highway work zones. Highway workers face danger on the job, and drivers and passengers face an even higher risk of being hurt or killed in work zone crashes.

A new highway work zone study, conducted by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America, shows 39 percent of highway contractors reported motor vehicles crashes in their work zones in 2015. And those crashes had devastating results:

agcsurveygraphic

“Any time your job site is just a few feet away from fast-moving traffic, danger is right there with you,” said ICI President Richard Hedgecock. “An orange cone is no match for a speeding car, and it shouldn’t take a needless fatality to figure that out,” he added.

Indiana Constructors, Inc. is working with the Indiana Department of Transportation and federal transportation officials, as well as the Road Construction Awareness Corporation, to raise work zone safety awareness.

But Hedgecock suggested that the best way to improve safety was for motorists to be more careful while driving through highway work zones. “When you see construction signs and orange barrels, take your foot off the gas, get off the phone and keep your eyes on the road,” he added. “It is not worth putting your life or someone else’s at risk just to save a few seconds on the road.”

AGC of America’s work zone safety study is based on a nationwide survey of highway construction firms conducted in March and April. More than 800 contractors completed the survey. View the complete national and regional survey results here.

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Indiana Constructors, Inc. is the voice of Indiana’s highway, heavy and utility construction industry. Learn more at www.indianaconstructors.org.

Safety Tips for Working Alone

Posted on by admin_ici

Some construction jobs require an employee to work in an isolated environment for a period of time. Doing a job alone can be more hazardous than doing the same job in the company of others. If you’re injured, ill or trapped, there’s no one nearby to help or call for assistance. It’s a good idea to assess the situation and see if it’s possible to reschedule the job, so others can be present or close by. This is especially true if the project requires an employee to work at heights, operate hazardous equipment or materials, enter confined spaces or enter areas with insufficient lighting.

Supervisors should also:

  • Assess whether the worker might be more vulnerable than others. Consider age, disabilities and medical suitability of the individual.
  • Assess the worker’s levels of training and experience.
  • Make sure they know where their lone workers will be and have a system in place to touch base with and monitor them.

If you are working alone, consider these safety tips:

  • Talk to your supervisor and colleagues about your job, the hazards and how to minimize risks.
  • Ensure that others on your crew know where you will be working and when.
  • Have a check-in system in place. This could include:
    • Prearranged intervals of regular phone contact. Be sure your mobile phone is fully charged, or you have another communications tool in the event there’s no phone coverage.
    • Periodic visits to the site by a coworker or supervisor, so they can visually check on you.
    • Use of a “man down” or personal monitoring device that recognizes when a worker has stopped moving.
    • Arranging to call someone at the end of your shift to let them know you are OK.
  • Have a first aid kit, and know how to use it.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher on-site at all times, and know how to use it.

Establish an emergency plan in case an accident occurs, and make sure everyone on the site understands it and knows what their responsibilities are. Consider publishing these helpful tips in your company’s health and safety policy statement.

Download the recording form here.

Sign and Barricade Use

Posted on by admin_ici

Collisions with construction equipment and other vehicles, pedestrians falling into open excavation work, driving into open excavation work, driving into work areas and losing control of a vehicle because of minor road repairs and soft shoulders are the major causes of accidents in highway construction or maintenance. You can minimize the likelihood of such accidents by using barricades and other warning devices.

In some instances, signs will be sufficient deterrents. Signs should conform in shape, size and color to recommended specifications. Use them freely to designate approaches to the site. Use secondary approach warnings, such as one-lane traffic and speed limit signs, where appropriate.

Other instances call for the use of barricades. An open trench can be a hazard not only to the workers on the site, but also to the public. The OSHA standard states, “Each employee at the edge of an excavation six feet (1.8 m) or more in depth shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems, fences, or barricades when the excavations are not readily seen because of plant growth or other visual barriers.”

There are two types of barricades – the horse type and the fence type. Use the fence barricade around heavy equipment and as a roadblock. Use the horse type for all other purposes. Barricades should be properly striped for visibility – six inches wide and inclined at an angel of 45 degrees from the horizontal.

Below are some barricade basics to help ensure a safe excavation site:

  • Install warning systems prior to excavation.
  • Install barricades, guardrails or fences around excavations adjacent to walkways, roads, paths or other traffic areas.
  • Install standard guardrails on walkways or bridges used by the general public to cross excavations.
  • Install barricades or other means of protection from underground utilities left in place during excavation.
  • Install a barricade or fence on any excavation left unattended to protect against accidental pedestrian entry.
  • You can use posts and warning tape as a barricade if the excavation is in a remote location where visitation by residents is unlikely.
  • Use a physical barrier such as a fence to isolate an excavation in a highly traveled area.
  • Install barricades around the site to help control vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
  • Install a warning system such as a barricade, hand or mechanical signal or stop logs when operating mobile equipment adjacent to the edge of an excavation.

These are just a few precautions you can take to protect workers and the public around excavations. Each situation will be different; therefore, a competent person must assess the hazards associated with the specific excavation to determine the most appropriate plan of action.

Download the recording form here.

Danger – Eye Protection Required

Posted on by admin_ici

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20,000 workplace eye injuries happen each year. These injuries range from simple eye strain to severe trauma that can cause permanent damage, partial vision loss or blindness. Many of these injuries could have been prevented if the worker had used proper protective eyewear and followed appropriate safety measures.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has identified five major dangers to your eyes. They include:

  • Impact – flying objects and particles;
  • Heat – anything that gives off dangerous heat;
  • Chemicals – flashes, fumes and vapors;
  • Dust – otherwise harmless particulates that can damage sensitive eyes; and
  • Optical radiation – everything from simple glare to intense light.

There are three things you can do to help prevent eye injury:

  1. Know the eye hazards at your worksite.
  2. When possible, eliminate the hazards before starting work. Use machine guarding, work screens or other engineering controls.
  3. Use the proper eye protection. Anyone working in or passing through areas that pose eye hazards should wear protective eyewear.

Ensure your safety glasses fit properly. According to OSHA Standard 1926.102, your safety glasses should meet the following requirements:

  • Provide adequate protection against the particular hazards for which they are designed.
  • Be reasonably comfortable when worn under the designated conditions.
  • Fit snugly and not unduly interfere with your movements.
  • Be durable and capable of being disinfected.
  • Be easily cleaned.

Clean your safety glasses daily, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Store them in a case when they are not being worn. Replace glasses that are scratched, pitted, broken, bent or ill-fitting.

Use only safety glasses that are manufactured to meet the American National Standards Institute’s Z87.1 Eye and Face Protection Standard.

Download the recording form here.